


Virgil’s Kitchen

by Badgermole



Series: A Failure to Communicate [2]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Aphasia, Backward Talking, Communication, Cookies, Echolalia, Fire, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Kinda, Panic Attacks, They all have speech issues, They're a Family, i think, selective mutism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-08 00:52:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15231786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Badgermole/pseuds/Badgermole
Summary: Patton tries making cookies for the other sides but it doesn’t go as planned.





	1. Chapter 1

“Ow!" Patton yelled pulling his hand back from the heated pans. He ran over to the freezer and jammed his hand into the bags of frozen peas.

Roman ran through the door wielding his sword yelling “Pattap!”

“Pattap!” Patton giggled, pulling his numbing hand out of the fridge. “That was pea-tty close Ro.”

Roman groaned slightly. “Are you alright padre?” Roman looked around the kitchen scanning for threats. 

Mixing bowls were overflowing the sink, half full of water and plastered with cookie dough. A few rubber spatulas poked out, both handles and tips alike. The oven was open with nearly all the pans laying on the door which was bending under the weight. Broken egg shells littered the counter tops while plastic packaging and batter mix boxes covered the floor.

“Don’t tell Virgil!” Patton shrieked suddenly pulling Roman into a tight hug.

After a minute, Roman slowly got out of Patton’s death grip of a hug. Roman finally saw Patton’s reddening hand. “Pat, you can’t grab hot pans with your bare hand.” Roman placed a gentle kiss near Patton’s wrist, avoiding the singed skin.

“Don’t tell Virgil!” Patton tried again pulling his hand protectively to his chest. “Anyone can cook.” Patton added in a French accent.

“But not everyone can cook alone...” Roman narrowed his eyes seriously. “I’ll be right back.”

Patton opened his mouth, about to go again but Roman cut him off before he could. “Ligriv llet t’now I.”

Roman disappeared out of the kitchen before Patton could say anything in reply.

“Ligriv llet t’now I.” Patton whispered to himself, shaking his head in shame. Using his good hand he slowly attempted to get the kitchen cleaned up before Virgil showed up. Virgil would be upset about his inhjured hand. He didn’t also have to be upset about the state of his kitchen.

////////////////////////////////////

“Verge?” Roman waited to allow Virgil to acknowledge that he had heard. Getting no response again, he cleared his throat for once last try. “Ligriv.”

Virgil’s head snapped up. Roman didn’t use their proper names. They always came out backwards, something Roman was horribly self-conscious about.

Roman’s tapping fingers calmed and he uncrossed his arms. He has been standing there for who knows how long trying to get Virgil’s attention. He let out a small huff.

“Pat got into the kitchen again.”

Roman braced, ready for Virgil to dart away into the kitchen. The room was silent. Roman slowly opened his eyes. Why hadn’t Virgil reacted? Had he said it backwards?

“Pat got into the kitchen again.” Roman repeated slowly furrowing his eyebrows.Roman moved his gaze slowly to Virgil’s face now visible face. Virgil was gazing intently at Roman’s right shoulder.

Virgil’s jaw flexed slightly. “No thank you.” 

“Oh.” Roman gave a nervous laugh. He flourished his right hand. “Og tsuj ll’i.” He stuck out his tongue and dragged it back between his teeth raking away the words. “I’ll just go.”

Virgil dropped his head and curled back up in his spot on the couch. As Roman’s footsteps faded away, Virgil let out a quiet breath. Sometimes interacting with others wasn’t something he could handle. He had learnt that the sound of others around him was fine, but once the conversation  was directed at him he just couldn’t do it.

He didn’t know where it came from, never did. His brain never told him anything. Ever. Virgil got used to riding it out without an idea of how to fix it. Logan of course had spent a lot of time researching trying to find a cause or way to help. He worked deep through the night into the morning, leaving Virgil feeling guilty. Regardless of all of their problems, Virgil couldn’t relax enough to talk about it with anyone. So Logan’s research was restricted to whatever he could gather though observations.

Logan had tried teaching him some sign language or suppling writing supplies but Virgil’s brain would just shut down the communication center almost completely.Through some work though, Virgil had gotten down to saying and signing a few words. It wasn’t much of a conversation... it was really just a way to say ‘Go away. I can’t do this now.’

The first time he had gotten out a small “No thank you,” Logan had gotten so excited. He prodded with an endless stream of questions. Finally he’d get some proper data. While he stumbled trying to remember the word ‘vocabulary,’ Virgil had darted out of the living room and into his room.

Virgil spent the night cleaning the blood out of his mouth after biting through his tongue during Logan’s never ending questions. Once everyone else was asleep, Virgil had snuck out of his room and slid a small apology  note under Logan’s door.

 

At some point during the thoughts of his past, Logan had appeared in his armchair across from the couch. Logan agreed that it would be good for Virgil to be around others who were speaking. He also took this as an opportunity for himself to practice his speaking skills without judgement.

Currently Logan was rambling to the room about Patton’s kitchen escapades that Roman had mentioned.

“It appears, from a deduction of his mess, that he was attempting to produce some chocolate chip cookies. He failed to remove the pans that are stored within the....” Logan’s blank face crinkled in thought. “The....heater.....stove...” Logan grumbled unsatisfied, making vague gestures with his hands.

“Oven.”

Logan gave a barely noticeable nod. “He failed to remove the pans from the oven prior to preheating to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. When reaching the step that required the insertion of the dough into the....oven, he realized his forgetfulness.”

Virgil slowly uncurled from his position. “He grabbed the hot pans,” Virgil muttered.

“Indeed. He nearly broke the door off the oven dropping the pans so violently” Logan tsked and shook his head. “It is most illogical to allow him within the kitchen unsupervised.”

Virgil stood slowly, clearing his throat fully of the imaginary block that rests there on occasion. “I’ll talk to him, you know, after the kitchen is clean and I get us some proper dinner.” Virgil grumbled lightly. Patton was a sweetheart, but he really could not be trusted in the kitchen.

As Virgil left the room, headed toward the kitchen, he whispered a quiet “Thanks.”

Virgil shook out his shoulders letting it travel down his arms and chest. Whatever his brain was having issues with seemed to resolve itself for now. He took a deep breath and gave his hands one last shake, getting ready to see the horror of a kitchen that Patton had left in his wake.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There's a bit of a loosely described panic attack bit in the beginning.

Before anyone had realized what a hazard Patton was in the kitchen, he had claimed it as his own. It was his for about five minutes before something was already on fire. Virgil, being the flight or fight reflex was the first one to rush in. He glanced around for the fire extinguisher. His head snapped back and forth at least three times before his darting eyes finally landed on the bright red of the extinguisher.

Adrenaline was great for getting to the room in no time, but it started sending his hands into uncontrollable shakes. He could not for the life of him grab the pin out of it. A panicked whimper escaped his lips. Virgil could just barely hear Patton copy the noise over the sound of his pounding heartbeat. His vision started to tunnel.

The weight of the extinguisher disappeared from his hands. Virgil wasn’t sure if his hands failed him and dropped to the ground or if someone had taken it away from him. He needed the extinguisher though, the kitchen was on fire! He grabbed at the air. Opening and closing his hands in a desperate attempt to have the object return to him.

The whoosh of the pressurized CO2 broke through the pounding of blood that had blocked his ears. Someone was talking to him but he wasn’t entirely aware of his surroundings. “Breathe in for 4 seconds. 1, 2, 3, 4. Hold for 7 seconds, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Breathe out for 8 seconds. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.”  Logan? When had he shown up?

Virgil did not realize how much his body had needed oxygen until he shakily fell into the 4-7-8 rhythm. As his brain began working once more, he realized he didn’t know what happened with the fire. Where was Patton, was he alright? A jolt went through his body as if restarting. Although he could barely comprehend what was going on around him, he started to move. Need to make sure the fire is out. Need to make sure Patton is okay. Need to-

“Virgil, the situation is handled there is no need for panic.” That was definitely Logan, but he sounded farther away than the counting. A calming hand fell on Virgil’s forearm as the counting continued. “Patton, I do believe another calming technique may be needed to appease Virgil. He is much more stable than previously. Perhaps a move into the…the…a comfort space would be better.”

The fog remaining in his brain lifted. Patton was in front of him, he was the one counting. Patton had been mimicking Logan. Logan was standing away at the counter looking intently at the toaster as though it may burst into flames once again.

“A comfort space.” Patton repeated. He matched Logan's instructive tone but his eyebrows were drawn together confused.

Logan didn’t move from his stare down with the inanimate object. His hand went up to adjust his glasses, stroking his tie on the way back down to his side. He was annoyed, perhaps angry. Logan had lost his word and Patton was echoing. The two of them together right now would not be a good idea.

“The living room Patton,” Virgil whispered.

“To infinity and beyond!” Patton exclaimed, the volume matching Buzz but there was no excitement behind it. Patton gently led Virgil away with a small apologetic smile.

 ///////////////////////////////////////

Virgil relaxed against the door frame watching as Patton and Roman washed the various mixing bowls, spatulas, and measuring cups. Roman was up to his elbows in bubbly water while Patton stood gently drying with a towel. Virgil could just make out the beige ace bandage which was already adorned with sparkling kitten stickers. Patton’s injury wasn’t that bad. Virgil let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding.

“No Roman, the best cleaning song has to be from Enchanted. The happy working song,” Patton countered. “There’s a cute little one legged pigeon that hops around to help clean! Poor little guy.”

“Cinderella-“ Roman started.

“Enchanted also had mice! There were so many different animals involved! Cross species team work.” Patton flung his hands out for emphasis nearly knocking Roman upside the head with the metal bowl.

Roman tilted his head out of the way. “Hey, Cinderella’s song had birds too! And, and the animals made a dress. They were far more skilled and civilized than your srettirc ytic…city critters.” Roman made a small splash in Patton’s direction.

A dramatic gasp left Patton as droplets of bubbly water landed on his arm. “Violence is never the answer Roman,” Patton noted in his dad voice.

“It’s slebbub…bubbles! They cannot be violent even if they tried.” Roman countered cupping the soapy bubbles in a hand and plopping them upon the top of Patton’s head.

“This means war!” Patton declared as the bubbles disappeared into his hair. “It shall be known throughout the land that this is purely in self-defense to protect the balance of the Mindscape!”

Virgil let a small smile creep onto his face. Everything was alright.

 

He hadn’t been noticed by either and the growing feeling that he was intruding on the duo had him straighten himself from the wall. Virgil would let them have this moment together. He didn’t want to ruin it. As soon as Patton saw him the whole mood would shift, he just knew it.

“Virgil!” Patton’s giggling died down as he finally noticed their observer. Roman got one more splash in before grabbing the towel to dry his arms off a bit.

“Hey Pat.” Virgil shrugged trying to seem as though he had just arrived.

An awkward silence fell over the kitchen. “I...um…have a kingdom to attend to…” Roman said rubbing the back of his neck before scurry out of the kitchen as though he was being chased by the Dragon Witch themselves.

Virgil tapped his thumbs together trying to think of what to say. He should have left the two alone before he got noticed. This was awkward and uncomfortable and that would never lead to anything good. What was going to happen if his brain decided to conk out again? He needed to be able to talk right now. He needed to-

Patton cleared his throat and slowly moved his fist in a circular motion on his chest. ‘Sorry.’

Virgil took a deep breath, shaking the thoughts out of his head. “You…uh...you look okay? Your hand. It’s not too bad?”

Patton smiled. “Yep! Still got all the digits, kiddo.” Patton wiggled all his fingers as though he was casting some magic spell. “Just got a bit hot-‘handed’ and acted without thinking. Im-palm-sive and all.”

Virgil nodded and the corner of his mouth twitched upwards. “You didn’t have to clean up, you know. I would’ve done it. Cause I’ve got to make dinner so it was gonna end up a mess anyway.”

Patton looked back at the oven. Roman had mangled to pile all the pans back in once they cooled down. And not tempting the oven gods again, they both munched on the dough balls before deciding to clean up something other than the pan. They did a good job, Patton thought. You would never have known some failed baking had gone down in the room only an hour or so before.

“They were meant to be a surprise for you all. Roman is normally in his imagination land, Logan is reading or researching holed up in his room, and you’re probably napping or relaxing to your PG-13 music.” Patton shrugged still looking at the oven. He was tearing up a bit. He loved his family. Sometimes he knew he wasn’t the easiest to be around but he wanted to show them how much they all meant to him. Communication was hard for all of them. He was supposed to do this perfect thing for them. Everyone was fluent in cookie!

Virgil shifted uncomfortably rubbing the back of his neck. “You…uh…we could do dinner together…or try your cookies again? Get everyone together…”

Patton whipped his eyes and stared at Virgil with the largest smile he had ever seen. “A family that bakes together stays together!”

 

It was Virgil’s kitchen. He knew how to cook, how to make absolutely sure that nothing would catch fire or poison his friends. It was Virgil’s relaxing space to just be himself. The kitchen was a place without worries but with happiness. The hours spent alone cooking up dishes for the people closest to him were always wonderful but there was something missing. Something that could change the wonderful experience to something completely extraordinary.

As he watched Logan stare reading every possible word of text from the back of the cookie mix box, or Roman twirling Patton around while the empty oven preheated, Virgil knew that his space was now complete. He just needed his family there too because it wasn’t his kitchen. It was his family’s kitchen.

 

“Try it out Verge!” Patton sprung up in front of Virgil and jammed a cookie into his mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope it was alright. A bit jumpy I think. Comments, concerns, etc. are welcomed. Have a great day.


End file.
